This long weekend offers a little bit of everything—bachata, soul, dance from India, Afro-Peruvian, country, and more. The just-announced Sunday appearance by Haitian band Boukman Eksperyans is the weekend gig I'm most excited about.

Friday

Anthony Santos, a Dominican master of the soft, romantic bachata style, performs at 9 p.m. at Galaxy Night Club, 2031 University Blvd., Hyattsville, Md. Price TBD; call (301) 439-6666.

Nito Mestre is almost 60, and the Argentinean guitarist is best known for being in rock band Sui Generis. He’ll be here Saturday night with 8 de Bastos at 8:30 p.m. at Divino Lounge, 7345-B Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. $20 (or $50 including includes dinner). (240) 497-0300.

Mallika Sarabhai performs in "Sampradayam: Traditions in Indian Dance" at 7:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. $18.50-$42.50. (202) 328-6000.

Ebony Hillbillies, a group made up of  New York African-American old-timey musicians, performs at 8p.m. at the Washington Ethical Society, 7750 16th St. NW. Free for Folklore Society of Greater Washington members, $20 for others. (202) 882-6650.

Saturday

Eva Ayllon, a great veteran Afro-Peruvian singer who has performed in the area about once a year for the past four years, appears at the Hilton at 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Va. $35. (703) 978-1897.

Anita Ratnam performs in "Faces: Blessed Unrest" at 7:30 pm at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. $18.50-$42.50. (202) 328-6000. Ratnam will be performing hand-gesturing Bharata Natyam-style classical dance from India.

Mavis Staples and Bettye Lavette at Lisner Auditorium, 21st & H. Sts. NW. $25-$45. (202) 397-SEAT.  This is a powerful soul-vocalists bill. While I find the glacial pace of most cuts on Lavette’s latest cd, Interpretations: the British Rock Songbook, problematic, there’s no question that she's strong live. Staples’ new cd, You are Not Alone, produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, is more varied tempo-wise, and she’s not bad live either.

Jamey Johnson, Colt Ford, and Josh Thompson opening for Hank Williams Jr. at the American Freedom Festival at 7 p.m. at the George Mason University Patriot Center, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax. $27-$131.50. (703) 993-3000. Johnson is the current critics fave country singer/songwriter, and WMZQ listeners like him too.

Sunday

Artisphere Open House, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. Free. (703) 875-1100. Artisphere opens with local bands, dance and theatre.  Today includes Joe Falero’s Latin Jazz Allstars at 2:30 p.m.; bluesman Memphis Gold at 6 p.m., and afrobeat combo Chopteeth at 9 p.m..

K'naan at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. (202) 265-0930. This Canadian-based Somalian throwback style rapper’s gig is sold-out.

Boukman Eksperyans at 7 p.m. at the Crossroads Entertainment Complex, 4103 Baltimore Ave., Bladensburg, Md. $15. (240) 463-7196.  A politically active Haitian band who I enjoy for their funky polyrhythms.  The Haitian promoter assures me the show is happening although it is not on the club’s website. The band will be at the Richmond Folk Festival Saturday night if you’re up for a road trip.

Monday

"The Structure of  Salsa " with La Excelencia and dance instructor/musical historian Eileen Torres at 6 p.m. at Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. Free.  703-875-1100  in Arlington —read about the event here.

Raul Malo at 7:30 p.m. at the Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria. $29.50. (703) 549-7500. Malo’s Roy Orbison goes Tex-Mex vocals are always suave and powerful.

*NPR lavishes much-deserved attention on Jeff Campbell, the man behind D.C.'s Hungry for Music, which supplies underprivileged kids with used instruments.

*The D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities today announced the audition schedule for the 2010-11 American Youth Chorus.

*In the Post, Jonathan Yardley goes to bat for John Waters, who (he notes) "will be pulling Social Security checks any day now, leaning back in his Barcalounger and reminiscing about the good old days when porn was really porn and dog poop was on the menu." Yardley also calls the pencil-mustachioed auteur "a greater National Treasure than 90 percent of the people who are given 'Kennedy Center Honors' each December." (Waters' autobiography, title, is out now courtesy of FSG.) For further lively reading, check out Mike Riggs' excellent interview with the man himself from this past December. For EVEN MORE LIVELINESS, enjoy the video above. It's one of Riggs' favorites!

*ALSO IN THE POST: I haven't yet heard the new record from Bettye LaVette, but it's a beautiful concept: free-handed covers of the Who, the Beatles, and Zeppelin recast over gospel-funk.  (I've only seen LaVette once—at the "We Are One" Inauguration concert—and she was of course fabulous.) In any case, Geoffrey Himes has good things to say.

*This New York Times piece about the Great & Glorious Updike Archive is good reading. It also uses the phrase "lathe-turned."

As approximately 62 of you know, I've been spinning a Friday Soul mix via the old Twitter account. Man is it groovy! I'm even linking to videos. The playlist so far:

1. Otis Redding, "Shake" (live at Monterey Pop, 1967)
2. Raphael Saadiq, "Let's Take a Walk"
3. Laura Nyro, "And When I Die"
4. James Brown, "Super Bad"
5. Buddy Guy, "Feels Like Rain"
6. Mofro, "Ho Cake"
7. James Cotton, Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, "Got My Mojo Workin'" (hey, we're branching out)
8. The Impressions, "Long Long Winter"
9. Rod Stewart, "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher"
10. Bettye LaVette, "You Don't Know Me At All"
11. Van Morrison, "I've Been Working"
12. Curtis Mayfield, "People Get Ready" (some live version from, I think, 1974)

Eclectic, see, yet accessible. But it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings! (No Aretha jokes, if ye please.) Just point the browser of your choice in this direction, make like a lemming, and follow along. Suggestions are appreciated. As are witty remarks concerning my inclusion of Rod Stewart...or the fact that a number of these tracks don't necessarily qualify as soul.

Below the jump: the remainder of the mix, updated incrementally.

13. JJ Grey, "The Sun Is Shining Down"
14. Al Green, "Get Back" (yep, that one)
15. The Acoustics, "I'm Gonna Stay In A Hurry"
16. Jackie Wilson & Count Basie, "In the Midnight Hour"
17. Sam Cooke, "Somebody Have Mercy" (live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963)

Photo by niecieden, Creative Commons attribution license

Also dug U2 more than I'd expected and found Pete Seeger a welcome presence.

First batch below.  More in a bit, plus a rundown of last night's Mike Errico/Alfonso Velez/Sketches show at Jammin' Java.

Springsteen, with gospel choir, on "The Rising":

National anthem:

Lavette & Bon Jovi on "A Change Is Gonna Come":

James Taylor & John Legend on "Shower the People":